“The nine incredible galleries will feature 115 species of marine life held in 800,000 gallons of water. And this includes 18 species of sharks and rays.”

Cristián Samper, president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. He spoke June 28th at the opening of the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! building and exhibit at the society’s New York Aquarium. Because we’re at the Aquarium, you may notice the sounds of sea lions in the background. And because the facility is at Coney Island in Brooklyn, you’ll also hear sirens—police or ambulance sirens, not the mythological sea temptresses or the real-life amphibians. Samper talked about what visitors might take away from their experience.

“Sharks are keystone species in the world’s oceans. And as top predators they help regulate the populations of other species and bring balance to the ocean. We also know that sharks are in trouble and need our help. Second, this exhibit features the waters right here in New York, what we call the New York seascape…this area is the home to hundreds of marine species, including 25 species of sharks, eight species of whales, six species of sea turtles, and thousands of fish, bird, and invertebrate species. And the third message is that the future of the ocean is in our hands. The choices that each of us will make, today, this week and next year—whether it’s the sustainable seafood that we do, whether we use plastic straws—every choice we make will impact the future of the oceans.”

—Steve Mirsky

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]